São Tomé and Príncipe has a young population: about half of its people were aged 0 to 19 in 2022, while about 6% were aged 60 or older. Life expectancy was about 70 years in 2024. There is no separate authority for life stages; responsibilities are divided among bodies such as the Direção-Geral dos Registos e do Notariado (DGRN), schools and the Ministério da Educação, youth services, the Instituto da Juventude, the Instituto Nacional de Segurança Social (INSS) and the Direção de Proteção Social, Solidariedade e Família (DPSSF). A child is legally under 18, and maioridade begins at 18. Emancipação can change this position earlier in legally recognised circumstances. Parents normally remain responsible for a child’s support, safety, health and education until majority or emancipation, and support may continue beyond 18 when vocational training is unfinished. Children should be heard in important procedures affecting them. Birth registration creates the legal identity used for later documents and services. Registration within the first year is free. Late registration costs 100 Dbs from one year to one year and two months, 150 Dbs from one year and three months to age 13, and 300 Dbs from age 14 when voluntary registration requires two witnesses, parents’ documents and a Certidão Negativa. A normal birth certificate costs 75 Dbs and an urgent certificate 97.5 Dbs; a certificate used for a BI costs 135 Dbs normally or 202.5 Dbs urgently. Registration is handled through Conservatórias do Registo Civil, DGRN posts and maternity services, including Hospital Ayres de Menezes and facilities on Príncipe. Pre-primary education is not compulsory. Educação Básica is universal, compulsory and free through grade 9, with the usual completion age at 15. In 2020, completion rates were about 88% in primary school, 82% in lower secondary education and 47% in upper secondary education. Early childhood risks include child poverty affecting about 29% of children, violent discipline reported for about 80%, only 63% developing on track and functional limitations affecting about 5%. The minimum working age is 15 under Labour Code 6/2019, and dangerous work is prohibited for anyone under 18. Youth support includes life-skills training, digital skills, youth clubs, alternative education and employment programmes. The 2026 Youth Employment Opportunities Project targets people aged 16 to 35 through employment, skills, MSME and formal labour-mobility measures. Access differs by island and district; the project documentation identifies a lack of adequate technical training facilities on Príncipe. Child labour affected about 11% of children aged 5 to 17 in 2019, while 28% of women aged 20 to 24 had entered a union before age 18 in the same period. The adolescent birth rate was about 86 births per 1,000 girls and women aged 15 to 19 in the 2025 update. Marriage is legally available from age 18 for both sexes. An informal união de facto can receive legal recognition after more than two years of shared life, with two witnesses and birth certificates; the Conservador can decide within a maximum of 45 days. Normal marriage registration costs 2,000 Dbs and urgent registration 2,600 Dbs, with possible additional local or time-based charges. Parenthood does not depend on marriage. Social protection is fragmented and contributory coverage reaches only about 17% of the active population. The Programa Famílias Vulneráveis or Programa Família provides targeted cash transfers linked to vulnerability, school attendance and PEP+; according to DPSSF information, it reaches more than 5,000 households, 23,000 people and 16,000 children. Access commonly involves vulnerability assessment, registration in the Cadastro Social Único and district or regional channels. Contributions are not required for these non-contributory routes, and no public application fee is listed. Older-age support combines contributory and non-contributory routes. INSS old-age pension rules generally require age 62 and at least 180 months of contributions; women may receive a pension without reduction from age 57 under the stated conditions. The Programa de Emergência para Idosos (PEI) supports registered older people who are not covered by a contributory pension and are socioeconomically vulnerable. It provides 480 STN per person quarterly and had 3,045 beneficiaries according to the current DPSSF information. It is not a universal payment independent of vulnerability. Care for older people, people with disabilities and people with long-term illness is mainly provided by families and communities, with additional support from DPSSF, PEI and primary or community-based health services. São Tomé and Príncipe has no evidenced nationwide long-term-care entitlement or complete institutional care chain. Chronic lymphoedema and disabilities linked to lymphatic filariasis create local long-term support needs, and DPSSF validated a disability strategy in 2026. Floods, drought, coastal erosion, rising food and fuel costs and the effects of COVID-19 can disrupt household income and care. Poor households, children, older people and coastal or farming communities face higher exposure. Child-protection concerns involving violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation can be reported to the DPSSF Departmento da Proteção da Criança at 239 222 7389, through Linha Verde at 800 10 20 or through district offices. Family and community networks remain practically significant where formal crisis support is limited.
Life stages in São Tomé and Príncipe
Life stages in São Tomé and Príncipe are shaped by age, education, work, family responsibilities, care needs and access to social protection. Children are legally under 18, adulthood begins at 18, and education is compulsory and free through grade 9, normally ending at age 15. Birth registration, identity documents and support programmes affect access to school, work, family rights and assistance. A young population, limited contributory coverage and mostly family- or community-based care make transitions uneven across the country.
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